Bane mentioned, “Looks like there’s a blizzard coming tonight. They’re expecting eight to ten inches.”
“That’s more snow than I’ve ever seen.” The normal pep in my voice was gone as we continued to talk about trivial things. In Georgia, it was rare to get snow. When we did, the city shutdown not having the proper equipment.
The road turned from four lanes to two and became curvy as we ascended into the mountain areas. Snow-covered trees encapsulated the road, almost creating a fairytale picture.
“It’s beautiful here.”
“It is. I think you’ll like where we’re going even under the circumstances. It’s peaceful.”
Turning right on a nearly imperceptible road, the brush dragged along the side of the car. I cringed knowing little scratches were happening to the pristine coat of paint. Cars seemed disposable to Bane.
As dusk set, Bane made another turn. Five minutes later, a small cabin sat nestled on a ridge. To the left was a shed Bane pulled into. Spider webs and dust covered the shelves. This would take a bit to clean out.
“It’s been awhile since you’ve been here.” It wasn’t a question, but a fact from all the dirt.
“Nearly four years since I bought it and set it up.”
Four years. I guess a safe house wouldn’t be on your list of frequent visits or vacations. “Do you think it’s still livable inside?”
He nodded as he looked out into the area. “This place is monitored through a secured network I own. Everything looked operable the last time I logged in. If not, I have the tools to fix it.”
Grabbing my stuff, I got out of the vehicle and waited for Bane. Two snowmobiles sat to the right. After not being here for four years, how long would it take to get everything running? He grabbed a few of the duffels. “I’ll get the rest once we get settled and the generator going. There’s barrels of pure gasoline in the back of the shed that will keep the place going for months.”
“Months? What about my jobs? I need to tell someone.” We could be here for months? I wasn’t sure how I felt about a lengthened trip in nowhere land. Especially with a withdrawn Bane. Would they worry about me? I wasn’t sure. The turnover for the types of jobs I did were high. Sometimes people simply quit showing up.
“Angel, I don’t think it’ll take months. I have enough supplies here to survive. You can’t call your jobs. I’m sorry, but you can’t. We can’t take the risk.” There was the nickname again that came out of nowhere with a semi-softened tone. I chose to ignore it with everything else I tried to process. Since leaving the train, the reality of the situation continued to sink in. I’d been in a bubble on the train and now it was popped.
Bane was right, there was nothing I could do about the jobs.
Through the snow, I followed Bane. Only a few inches were on the ground. After tonight I would probably feel snowed-in with how much was expected to fall. As I looked closer, the wood cabin had a steel door and shutters. This was more than a cabin. Bane used a key and unlocked the deadbolt. Sheets covered the furniture and more dust showered every surface. There was less dust than in the shed, probably from everything being sealed better. Bane sat our things down. “Let me get a fire started to warm the place. Then, I’ll get the generator going. We’ll have power, water, and appliances then.”
“Sounds good.” Bane watched me for a second like he wanted to say more. Instead, he turned and busied himself.
The cabin was one large room. Wandering through the place, I realized this was going to be my residence indefinitely. After a little tender loving care, I believed this place could feel … homey. The kitchen sat at the far back with a dining area to the right. A desk with more technical equipment was to the far left. And the rest was open living space.
Bane went back outside without saying a word. In the middle of the far left wall, next to the fire place, was a door. I opened it and peered in. More sheets covered the furniture. A large bed sat against the wall in between two steel-plated covered windows. Along the left wall a dresser sat between two doors. I probably should ask for permission to look, but I didn’t.
The left door housed a laundry room. A small washer and dryer along with a large dead-bolted cabinet sat undisturbed. As I came back out, I noticed my trail of footprints in the dust on the floor. Cleaning was a priority. To the right of the dresser was a medium-sized bathroom. The tub was rust-free unlike my previous place. I hoped one night I’d be able to soak. It had been a while since I’d relaxed in a bath since in my apartment I’d worn flip flops to the shower not wanting to touch the tub.
Coming back in the main room, Bane nearly had a fire going. “I like your place.”
“It’ll do.” He stood. “Before I lose all daylight, I need to get the generator going.”
“No problem. I’ll make myself at home.” On the way to the front door Bane stiffened and froze for half-a-second. I wasn’t sure what I’d said, but I wasn’t going to push. Without responding, he left. And all the softness from the shed was gone. Distant Bane was back.
I wasn’t sure what to make of his actions. As I surveyed the room, I knew how to keep myself busy. Bane Bradley needed time to process some things on his mind. And I needed to make sure my boundaries were reinforced.
“DAMN IT ALL to hell!”
The generator in the back of the cabin groaned in protest. I’d been working on getting it going for a while. Between the rubber rot in the fuel line and the carburetor, the generator had been a bitch to start. The problem now was the choke hanging.
“Work, you son of a bitch!” I took the pull start and yanked it.
Vroom. Vroom. Vroom.
The generator came to life and gained strength. We had power. I added more gas to the tank and sat for a second. I knew I’d been a bastard to Maren this afternoon. Those last two days on the train had been too intimate with us sleeping together at night after she’d coax me to stay after a round of serious fucking. Man, I had hardly been able to keep my hands off her.
Then, this morning. Fuck, this morning. I’d woken up wrapped around her like a vine. She’d been in my dreams last night as we laid on the beach and made love. Made love. No, we fucked. There was no love making.
Then, Maren called the cabin home. Home. There was no such place anymore. Those words got people hurt. This was a safe house. A means to an end. When I’d killed all those assholes after me this time, I’d help Maren disappear. Then, I’d walk away from her and not look back. There was no straying from the motto. The motto of not having anything in my life I couldn’t walk away from kept everyone safe. If only I’d never gone to Alaska. Jasmine and Faith would be alive. Without me. But, nonetheless alive.
I leaned against the wood wall and let out a breath trying to rid my body of the restless energy. Now that the generator worked, I’d unload the car and get the place cleaned up. Looking at my watch, I noticed I’d been gone for a couple of hours. Shit. Abruptly, I stood and dashed to the cabin. It was dark. Maren was probably scared.
Entering the cabin, I came to a halt. Candles and a few lanterns were lit giving enough light to see. The place was spotless. Maren came out of the bedroom and screamed when she saw me. “Oh my gosh. Bane. You scared the shit out of me. I didn’t hear you come in.”
Her hair was thrown on top of her head. Dust streaked her face. She looked beautiful in the dim light. I wanted her.
Nervously, she continued, “I cleaned up the place a little bit. I hope that was okay. I found some vinegar, a broom, and a mop in the closet.”
“It’s fine. I got the generator going.” My tone came out harsher than I intended. I flipped the switch and the power came on.
Maren tucked an escaped hair behind her ear. “Once we have water, I’ll get the dishes cleaned. Tomorrow I can wash all the sheets that covered the furniture to get the dust out.”
Going to the sink, I hoped the water pump still worked. Digging through frozen ground to fix it was the last thing I wanted to do tomorrow. I lifted the facet knob. It sputtered. Then
water flowed freely through the nozzle. Finally, a break. “We’ve got water.” My tone was hollow and ice.
Why was I being such a jackass?
I turned and Maren was within inches. “I’ll wash the dishes.”
“Maren, I don’t expect you to be my maid. You don’t have to do anything. The cabin looks great.” There, that was better. More appreciative sounding.
Watching me closely, she asked, “What happened today? Why are you being so cold to me?”
Leaning against the counter, I scrubbed a hand down my face. “Maren, I like fucking you. Maybe too much. But, I don’t want you to get any false pretenses. When all this is over, when I know you’re safe, it all ends. We go our separate ways. I don’t want living together to bring some false sense that something has changed.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I haven’t given you any impression that I wanted more, Bane. Not once! I’ve been a human to you and that’s it. I’m not some desperate girl who doesn’t know the score. I’m fully aware we’re simply fucking. But that’s fine, we can become roomies until you sort through whatever mess this is.”
With an animated turn, Maren stalked toward the bedroom. “I’m going to bed.”
The door slammed.
“Fuck,” I muttered to myself knowing I deserved all that. Maren wasn’t the one running hot and cold and sending mixed signals. I was.
Shit!
Tomorrow I’d try to make things right between us. It looked like it was the couch for me. That was better anyway. I’d get the car unpacked, computers up and running and catch a few hours of sleep. Distance was a good thing.
I pulled Jasmine, but nothing happened. Dead weight was all I was greeted with. Turning back, I had a sickening feeling I wasn’t willing to admit. Before my eyes, Jasmine was slumped over as a red pool of blood spread into the white snow from her head.
Grabbing her shoulders, I brought her to me. “No! No! No! Baby, wake up!”
Jasmine laid before me. Lifeless. Dead.
Sobs erupted from me. “NOOOO!”
Everything worth living for was fading in this moment. I had to be there for my little girl as her movements faded. “Faith, I’m here! I’m here, Faith! Daddy is here!”
There was nothing I could do. Helpless. I prayed for a miracle as I begged, “Baby, don’t leave me! Please don’t leave me!”
“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Nothing I did brought Jasmine or Faith back.
“Bane! Bane! Wake up!”
I stirred as the darkness let go. A pressure shook my shoulders and my defenses went on alert as I sprung, putting the body underneath me. With a firm grip on the person’s neck, I squeezed. Who the hell was with me? Who the hell entered my place? Whoever the asshole was would see what happens when you break and enter.
A gasp and a soft barely audible voice rasped out as the person squirmed beneath me, “Bane, it’s Maren.”
Realizing I was at the cabin, not in my house, I let go of Maren and fell back onto the floor. She coughed. I’d hurt her. Shit! A slight tremor took over me. Gasping for breath, I righted myself. I’d never been woken up from the nightmare before.
“Maren, angel, I’m so sorry. I—I—” Stopping, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say. The nightmares disappeared when I slept in the bed with Maren. I thought I’d be safe. Those words couldn’t be voiced.
She knelt in front of me, keeping a small distance. “It’s okay. I’m okay. My dad had nightmares like that. We couldn’t wake him and had to let him come to. He served in the military, and from time to time, the memories of the past haunted his dreams. I won’t wake you again.”
Still afraid to speak and let my tone betray me, I nodded. I’d known Maren’s dad had been a marine when I did a background check. A damn fine one. “Bane, why don’t you take a shower and come to bed?”
“Maren—”
Cutting me off, Maren bent a little lower to meet my down-casted eyes. “Bane, it’s fine. If you have one again, I won’t wake you. The bed will be more comfortable.”
I felt like a total dick for how I’d treated her earlier. First, I needed to shake the nightmare. Get it out of my system. Running it all out wasn’t an option. I wasn’t leaving Maren by herself. “A shower sounds good.”
My skin felt cold and clammy. Maren didn’t say a word as she got a towel out of the sealed container in the bathroom, laid it on the counter, then left. The water turned on and I waited for it to run. Soon steam filled the bath and I stripped out of my clothes. The nightmares always left me out of sorts.
I catalogued all the memories like I normally did to help me process the lost, but all I could think about was Maren. My body craved to be insider her to escape. I didn’t want to remember. I wanted to forget.
Fisting my dick, I pumped it a few times remembering her tight heat. Base to tip I touched myself. It wasn’t as good as the real thing, but it worked. The nightmare faded as I focused on the brunette beauty.
The shower curtain slid over and Maren came in naked. She looked down at my hand palming myself. The familiar heat passed through her eyes and my dick grew harder in my hands.
“Let me.”
I let go of my dick. Her fingers came out, stroking the tip. Water beaded down her creamy skin. Needing to bring Maren to pleasure first, I reached for her. “No, Bane. This is for you. Only you.”
“Maren—”
A finger touched my lips shushing me. “Let me do this for you.”
Touching my balls with one hand, Maren moved them in an erotic fashion that had my dick pulsing. With her other hand she stroked me. I took her mouth, forcefully moving and pushed her against the wall away from the shower spray. The strokes came faster, my balls tightened, and I couldn’t get enough of her tongue.
“Maren …”
I needed this.
I needed her.
Like this.
Right now.
She’d known how to soothe me.
The familiar draw came and let go as I came undone under Maren’s touch. The kiss softened and I disengaged our mouths, looking down at my now semi-hard dick. Maren’s stomach had my cum spread across it.
“You’ve got a good aim.” She gave a little giggle as the substance moved down. It was fucking hot.
Something feral came alive in me seeing part of myself on Maren.
“This was for you tonight, Bane. Come to bed when you’re done.” The woman was going to drive me mad with lust.
Giving me a quick kiss on the cheek, Maren stepped under the shower spray and washed me off of her. All I saw was her spreading me into her skin.
I’d marked her. I’d fucking marked her. And worse part yet … I liked it.
CHANGING INTO MY pajamas, I brushed my now wet hair as the erratic beating of my heart slowed. Seeing Bane’s evidence of passion on me was sexy. In the shower, I felt like I belonged to him. Before he could see it in my eyes, I’d rinsed off and left. I would stay true to my word and not make this into more than it was. Though my heart wanted to heal Bane, I knew I couldn’t change him.
His tattoo was exquisite. It was the first time I’d been able to look at it. The geometric shapes formed a dragon. In the train, I’d only seen it a few times but couldn’t tell exactly what it was. I wondered what the reason behind it was. Tattoos always seemed to have some sort of meaning to them. The dragon started at the left hip and wound up to his back finishing at the base of his neck where the tail was.
Remembering to take my birth control pills, I grabbed them from my purse. I normally took them as I got ready for bed. Taking them in the morning always left me feeling off all day.
“What’s that?”
Bane’s voice startled me as I looked at the pale pink compact in my hand. “It’s … umm … my birth control.”
“Oh. Good. Yeah, that’s real good.”
At a loss for words, I smirked at Bane. “You have sex with me every which way on a train and me taking birth control embarrasses you?” A small snicker escaped.
He shook his head in amusement as he dragged a hand over his head and yawned. Going to the freshly made bed, I pulled back the covers. “Let’s go to sleep.”
Without saying a word, I got in bed and Bane flipped off the lights. I felt a depression in the bed moments later. Bane was distant, but contemplative. Probably making a game plan for all we had to do in the morning.
“Night, Maren.”
“Night, Bane.”
How I wished he’d hold me like he had the last couple of nights when we were on the train. The space remained between us which was probably good for my head and heart. The darkness closed in as I succumbed to sleep.
Light peeped into the room as I stretched my muscles and reached across the bed. All I found were cold sheets, abandoned long ago. Through the night, I’d woken up from the heat of Bane’s body as he held me. At some point during the night he’d moved close to me and I’d relished him holding me tightly. Staying awake for as long as I could, I felt his chest expand with each breath. Eventually, the soothing motion soon sent me back to sleep.
Through the walls, I could hear Bane watching footage of something. Probably security footage of one of the places we’d been. Bane had been keeping close tabs to see if anyone followed our tracks. So far we were in the clear.
After what he’d said in the kitchen last night, the shower incident, and him holding me through the night, I wanted to give him some space. Shower, first I’d take a shower.
The hot water felt soothing as I let it work my loose muscles. After the shower, I’d face reality again. And see if I could understand where Bane’s head was at. The emotional whiplash was getting old.
Drying off, I dressed in a pair of jeans and green sweater that hugged my figure. It was time to face the grumpy beast as I headed into the living room. Several computer screens were illuminated along the back wall. The snug-fitted black shirt hugged his body as he stood over the table looking at documents.
“Good morning.”
Bane took a sip of coffee. “Morning. Did you sleep okay?”
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